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1996 – A nationwide search was kicked off for Kelly McGinnis, a Greenville man who gunned down Greenville Attorney Tom Meyer in the alley behind the lawyer's office downtown.
The Vandalia City Council approved a resolution prohibiting drinking outside bars in the city, after some bar owners asked for permission to have beer gardens.
Bruce Clanton of rural Vandalia was recognized as a candidate for the American FFA Degree, the highest honor in the Future Farmers of America.

This week's photo: This young man has continued playing the drums into adulthood while working in the multi-generational family business.
Do you know him? If so, call our office at 283-3374 by 5 p.m. next Monday.
Last week's photo: Jason Hagy, Curt Braun and Bruce Yarbrough.
Identifying them was: Dannie Donaldson.
This week’s Scrambler: eth aeluv fo wdnelekog arf saepsruss eth stoc fo sit incisqtiaou.
Can you unscramble it? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374, by 5 p.m. next Monday.

My son, Ethan, and I were picking blackberries the other day, and as we continued our conversation amidst the canes laden with berries and thorns, several stories came to mind.
Of course, my first thought was of bears and their love of blackberries; however, their numbers are so depleted that they are not generally seen by the public. Several birds chortled at us, but with the idea that there was enough for all, we continued until we had a gallon pail full.

I am often asked where the ideas come for my articles that are published weekly in this newspaper. Often the idea comes from a question that someone asks me that I am unable to answer.
One of these was asked some years back by the late John Leander of Vandalia, who volunteered at the Fayette County Museum. John told me he had a visitor in the museum who asked what he knew about the two Miller brothers of Ramsey who were both doctors. One of the brothers participated in the Oklahoma land rush.

1996 – City police officer Danny Carman was injured in a two-vehicle accident at Randolph and Coles streets that occurred while he was responding to a call.
Mr. and Mrs. W. Wilson Stein of St. James were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
The Vandalia City Council narrowed the list of candidates for economic development director from 38 to five.
Eric Kingery of Ramsey signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Lake Land College in Mattoon.

In my last column I wrote about the founding of Vandalia as capital of Illinois, and the construction and destruction of the first capitol building.
As daylight dawned on Dec. 23 and all of Vandalia’s residents discovered that the capitol building had burned to the ground in the middle of the night, a subscription list to rebuild was started and $3,000 was raised within six days.